The Kite Runner (Chapters 14-17)

12/13/2020

Leo Tolstoy once wrote, “All happy families are like one another; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Write a response in which you explain the source of the unhappiness in one of the families in The Kite Runner, and the uniqueness of its misery.

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add the word count at the bottom of the prompt. Due by 11:59pm Friday night 12-18-2020!

Secondary Blog Response Expectations: After reading all of your classmates' Primary Blog Responses, select TWO that interest you. Reply to them in a thoughtful paragraph. You may offer constructive criticism, elaboration, or rebuttal. 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count at the bottom of the prompt. Due by 11:59pm Sunday night 12-20-2020!

Jaah

12/16/2020 02:20:56 pm

In Amir’s new family, with his wife Soroya there is a unique unhappiness. Because of their inability to bear children, that fact has seeped into their marriage and essentially altered their relationship. Even though they still share laughs and have been together for now 15 years. This unhappiness is definitely apparent within their marriage. Amir talks about how even though they are still intimate and have a connection with one another, it is not as strong and magnetic as it first was when they first got together. He talks about how they used to sleep together forehead to forehead, whispering about having kids and being so intune with each other. Now they don't sleep forehead to forehead but they still embrace each other, just not as intense as before. He also talks about how after they have been intimate how even though it is still good, at times it would just be a relief to get it over and done with. He refers to it as “futility” meaning that it was just pointless. We see the effect of the unhappiness that came from them not being able to have kids. We see how it has affected Amir’s view on his marriage and the things that they do within their marriage. Even though there still seems to be a connection, there is definitely also a disconnection between the two and even as readers we can still feel it.
~ 237 words

Bahnam

12/17/2020 12:52:28 pm

I definitely agree with you! Even the way the author describes the interactions between Amir and Soraya has changed. Before when the author described the interactions between the two of them, he used a lot of words with positive connotations and made the reader feel that the two of them really liked each other. In contrast to the recent chapters, Amir and Soraya’s interactions feel mundane and repetitive and the reader can really feel the sharp contrast between the beginning of their relationship and their relationship now. Their inability to have a child played a big role in their disconnect that has happened over the years.
Word Count: 106

Pazir

12/17/2020 01:02:55 pm

I definitely agree with you Jaah. I also believe that Soraya and Amir’s relationship has definitely gone down hill after 15 years of dating. At first their relationship was going so well and they loved each other very much. Not saying that they do not love each other, but know I believe that it is a little bid hard for them to love each other like they used to. When you talk about a reason why their marriage is diminishing, which is them being unable to have a child, I totally agree with what you are saying. Amir definitely after that moment of knowing that he won't be able to have a son or daughter of his own, made his view on his marriage different.

Word count- 127

Derrell McQuillar

12/17/2020 05:28:02 pm

I completely agree with what you said with how the relationship between Amir and Soraya has went for the worse. They both loved each other so much that. The interactions between Amir and Soraya seem mundane and repetitive in comparison to recent chapters, and the reader can really sense the sharp distinction between the start of a relationship and their relationship now. With them not being able to bear a child I agree with your response on the relationship fading

Derrell

12/17/2020 05:45:53 pm

In their disconnection that has arisen over the years, their failure to have a child played a major part. I agree with you jaah.
word count:103

Zarak

12/18/2020 12:14:10 pm

I agree with you Jaah, I think there has been unhappiness in Soraya and Amir’s relationship after finding out they could not have children. Although they still embrace each other and communicate it has not been the same since the beginning of their marriage like you said, when they would sleep together forehead to forehead and talk about having kids together. Many things have changed and their connection does not seem as strong. They have faced a challenge where it has not been easy for the both of them. I also agree that after Amir and Soraya’s intimacy was sometimes a relief for Amir which I think it should not have to feel like that.
Word count: 115

Azfaar

12/18/2020 02:06:58 pm

I agree. Hassan and Soraya's relationship is definitely stronger before they are given the news that they can not have children. They have built a life together and been with one another for many years, but their non growing family is a loud reminder about their inability to have kids, that they can not ignore. This does create a disconnect between the two. There is no incentive for their intimacy and the future of their marriage has a different outlook then the pair thought. It feels as if their marriage’s foundation is slowly starting to crumble but the two are desperately trying to save it. Word count-107

tabish

12/20/2020 01:24:00 pm

I agree with you jaah, its something that’s important, and I wonder how will it keep affecting their relationship. Like you said they are still intimate with each other and try with each other but it’s not the same as it used to be. I wonder if they can keep their relationship stable or if it will fall apart now that Amir has to save the child from the orphanage. Will she accept Amir’s past or will they be happier having a child to take care of as if it was their own?

Zarak

12/17/2020 12:17:55 pm

In The Kite Runner, I believe one of the unhappy families was Baba and Amir in the beginning of the story. In the first few chapters of the story, Baba and Amir’s relationship wasn’t very close. They seem to be distant and Amir would try to fight to win Baba’s affection. One way Amir would try to fight for Baba’s affection was through the kite tournament. Amir was determined to win so that Baba could be proud of him. It wasn’t a very happy relationship between Amir and Baba. I think their lack of communication brought them unhappiness within their family. Amir and Baba’s relationship was complicated and throughout the beginning of story Amir gets jealous when Baba would give Hassan more attention making him envy Hassan. Amir also kept a secret away from Baba when witnessing Hassann’s assault which only got worse. I think having Amir keep it a secret only made things get worse because Hassan and Ali who were very close to Baba and Amir, ended up leaving which caused it to really hurt Baba and make him cry from that news. This shows that Amir and Baba used to have an unhappy father and son relationship.
Word count: 200

Bahnam

12/17/2020 12:58:27 pm

I totally agree with what you have to say about Amir and Baba’s “unhappy father and son relationship,” but I would also like to highlight and add how their lack of communication and disconnect also played a huge role in their source of unhappiness. Baba and Amir not being able to communicate well with each other contributed to some of these events happening. If they were to be able to communicate well with each other, some of these events would have never occurred like Amir trying so hard to win his father’s love or Hassan leaving.Their lack of communication is the root of their unhappiness and accounts for all of their problems.
Word Count: 113

Jaah

12/17/2020 01:27:31 pm

I totally didn't even think about Baba and Amir’s relationship back in Afghanistan. I like how you made that connection. I definitely agree that their relationship was not close at all and there was definitely a huge disconnect between the two of them. Baba even said this to Rahim Khan. I also agree that there was a lack of communication between the two of them, and Amir wanted his father’s approval but also hated him so intensely at times. Even when Amir hurt Baba by forcing Hassan and Ali to move away, that shows that their relationship is not that strong and Amir was not connected enough with his father to see how that event would truly affect Baba. Amir and Baba's relationship was definitely unhappy but they still had some good times together.
~134 words

Derrell

12/17/2020 05:43:16 pm

I agree with your belief on Amir and baba is one of the unhappy families in the book. There was a lack of contact between the two of them and Amir needed acceptance from his Baba, but at times he despised him too deeply. Some of these incidents would never have happened if they were able to connect well with each other, such as Amir trying too hard to earn the affection of his father or Hassan leaving. With Amir hurting Baba by pressuring Hassan and Ali to move away which shows that their relationship is really not that good.
Word count: 100

Zemar

12/18/2020 04:09:40 pm

I agree with Zarak that one of the unhappy families was Baba and Amir. Baba going about things the way he did and keeping these secrets caused Amir to even at some point be jealous of Hassan and see in some ways how Baba gave him more attention. I also agree with Zarak’s idea that Amir kept a secret from Baba as well. This also relates back to the fact of secrets being the thing that was the source of unhappiness for this family. Amir didn’t tell Baba about Hassan’s assault which in the end led to other things and consequently, Baba, Hassan, Amir, Ali and maybe others are hurt.
Word Count: 110

Azoom

12/20/2020 07:04:45 pm

I agree that Baba and Amir’s relationship was awful in the beginning of the story. They couldn’t communicate with each other and were always tense around one another. Like you said, Amir had to try to get Baba’ attention constantly. Baba never gave Amir the attention he deserved as a child which only damaged their relation further during Amir’s childhood. Baba’s harsh judgement of Amir and his interests is another factor that I think heavily impacted their negative relationship. I do agree that Baba’s fatherly affection towards Hassan was another reason their relationship was so strained in the beginning. Baba lacked that same love and compassion for Amir.

Word Count: 108

Azzami

12/20/2020 08:49:57 pm

I agree with you Zarak. Baba and Amir loved each other very much and their relationship was nearly happy but there really wasn't emotion because they lacked a strong connection to each other. Baba wasn't pleased with the person Amir was becoming and Amir noticed that. Amir tried very hard to please his father by doing things that weren't very ethical. Amir would countlessly put his well being in front of Hassan's which furthermore burdened Amir and Baba's relationship. Amir didn't come to Hassan's to aid during his assault and caused Hassan and Ali to decide to leave their home. Amir's decisions that day
made Baba very upset that his childhood friend and basically family was leaving. This did not strengthen Baba and Amir's relationship at all.
word count: 127

Asadi

12/20/2020 10:14:27 pm

Hey Zarak, I agree that one of the more "unhappy" families in TKR was Baba and Amir during the beginning. Their relationship, as you stated wasn't the best, and it was more of a toxic one, to be honest. The way you explained how Amir would fight for Baba's attention is the same way I would explain as well, it was definitely not a pretty sight. Amir kept many secrets from Baba, which would only cause more bad tension between Amir and Hassan. I also agree that it showed how Amir and Baba used to have an unstable and unhappy father/son relationship because it did nothing but cause issues for Hassan.

word count 112

Shahmeer

12/20/2020 11:48:38 pm

I think Baba and Amir’s relationship is still based on Amir wanting his father’s attention to himself mixed with guilt. As an adult Amir can’t help but feel a little pride when he see that Baba is egging him on to flirt with Soryra and teases him about it. It gives Amir and Baba something to talk about, and like more parent and child relationships, they grow closer as the child becomes more mature. Also, there’s a sense of guilt in this relationship that affects the story because Baba still thinks about Hassan, which in these chapters we know is Amir’s half brother, and wishes that he could be with Hassan during important moments in Amir’s life like graduation. However, Amir’s guilt isn’t as explicit when he was a child and is able to conceal these emotions or project them in a different way.

Word Count: 144

Bahnam

12/17/2020 12:46:10 pm

All the families in the Kite Runner have their own source of unhappiness. Baba and Amir’s unhappiness stem from their disconnect with each other and lack of communication. Another factor may be how Amir doesn’t have a mother figure which leads to his lack of parental support. Baba and Amir have a complicated relationship. At the beginning of the novel, the two cannot see eye to eye due to their personalities and views, but as the novel progresses they slowly open up to each other. Although this solves their previous source of unhappiness, it reveals another source of unhappiness. Now in America, Baba is the shell of the man he used to be and Amir has grown into a man Baba can be proud of. However, Baba’s ill health and stubbornness cause another source of unhappiness for the two of them. While Baba is dying and after Baba dies, Amir finds another source of unhappiness when Rahim Khan calls him to go to Afghanistan. Going back to Afghanistan opens another source of unhappiness when Amir learns about Hassan’s death and how Amir and Hassan were actually brothers related by blood. In the Kite Runner, it seems that every time one source of unhappiness is resolved, another one is formed or opened up again. Baba and Amir’s sources of unhappiness are unique because each source has a domino effect and causes even more unhappiness.
Word Count: 233

Pazir

12/17/2020 01:11:51 pm

Yes Bahnam I totally agree with what you are saying. I too believe that all the families in the book the kite runner have their own form of unhappiness, heck every family has something that makes them unhappy. I love the way you talked about Baba and Amir’s relationship. I definitely agree with you that Baba and Amir have this weird, complicated relationship. Baba and Amir are two totally different people and at first they could not stand each other. But after some time they started to understand each other and how each other reacted with different things. I would also like to point out that when you said “In the Kite Runner, it seems that every time one source of unhappiness is resolved, another one is formed or opened up again.” I find that sooo true. Every time we see something start to get fixed or get good, something bad happens.

Word count- 154

Pazir

12/17/2020 12:56:15 pm

In the book the kite runner, I believed that one of the families that has this unique unhappiness is Amir and Soraya. At first we saw their love at the earliest stage, young and pure. They loved each other very much and were happy when they were able to get married. But after a while we see their love start to diminish due to, in my opinion not being able to have a child. Amir and Soraya have been together for 15 years and I believe that they each really want to have a child that is their own blood. Amir says in the book that they would talk forehead to forehead about someday having a child. But now Amir says that they still do that, but it mostly is about other things like work or making funny jokes. Amir also states that after giving love to Soraya it does not feel the same anymore. He says that it was a relief to get over and that he didn't have to think about it anymore. I also do believe that their marriage started to diminish because Amir was not being completely honest with Soraya. I mean Soraya spilled out her back story to Amir, while Amir did not tell Soraya anything. A good relationship is when both people are truthful to one another and does not have to hide anything.
Word count- 232

Jaah

12/17/2020 01:20:14 pm

Yes Pazir, you are right. I totally agree that Amir and Soraya’s relationship has definitely changed from the beginning. I do agree with you that the source of the diminishing of their relationship is the fact that they can't have children. The fact that they can't have children truly has separated them from each other in a way. Although they are still close they lack that intense connection that they once shared with one another. I also liked how you mentioned the fact that Amir is still not completely honest with Soraya about his past, even though she trusted him enough to tell him about hers. Maybe there is a lack of trust on Amir’s part or maybe he is just so ashamed.
~123 words

Zarak

12/18/2020 12:06:44 pm

I also agree with you Pazir. I think Amir and Soraya had a very good, loving and happy relationship in the beginning of their marriage but after finding out that Amir and Soraya are unable to carry children, it became a very difficult obstacle for both Amir and Soraya. It was something that Soraya has always wanted. She loves children and had always wished to carry one in her arms. I think this caused unhappiness in their marriage because not being able to make a family of their own was a tough situation for them. I also agree that Amir should be truthful to Soraya and not keep secrets from her such as Hassan’s assault in the past.
Word count: 118

Azoom

12/20/2020 07:53:36 pm

I agree that Amir and Soraya’s marriage was definitely damaged by their inability to have a child. It seems that the lack of a child left a sort of emptiness in their lives that they weren’t at all prepared for. I agree with what you said about the two wanting a child of their own. I think the fact that they’ll never be able to have a child that’s completely theirs caused a huge shift in their life plans and expectations. I think the two thought of having a child as something fulfilling for a family. This lack of a full family then caused a shift between Soraya and Amir. Their love seemed to lessen for each other and they definitely aren’t as in love as they used to be when they first got together.

Word Count: 135

Azzami

12/20/2020 08:56:38 pm

I agree with you Pazir. Amir and Soraya's relationship changed greatly after the news of them not being able to have a child. One difficult occurence in their relationship caused them sadness in their relationship. Amir and Soraya never really talked about not being able to have a child. They went over their options to have a child, such as adoption but Soraya's father did not approve, resulting in them not being able to have children at all. Amir and Soraya just accepted the fact that they couldn't have a child when they could have talked about how their life would be if they aren't able to have a child. In a relationship communication is essential. Amir and Soraya's relationship is starting to lack communication, making their marriage unhappy.
word count: 129

Derrell McQuillar

12/17/2020 03:21:58 pm

Both families have their own root of unhappiness in the Kite Runner. The unhappiness of Baba and Amir comes from their disconnection and miscommunication with one another. Another consideration may be the lack of a mother figure for Amir that contributes to his lack of love for his parents. A very dynamic relationship between Baba and Amir. They seem distant, and Amir is trying to fight to win Baba's affection. One way for Amir to try and fight for Baba's love was through the kite tournament. To make Baba proud of him, Amir was determined to succeed. It wasn't a very happy friendship between Amir and Baba. Amir becomes jealous when Baba pays more attention to Hassan at the beginning of the story, causing him jealousy by Hassan. When witnessing Hassan's attack, which only got worse, Amir kept a secret away from Baba. The new family of Amir. There's a peculiar unhappiness with his wife, Soraya. Truth has fallen into their marriage and eventually transformed their relationship because they can't birth children. Even though they're both smiling and they've been together for years. Their unhappiness is definitely apparent in their marriage. Amir also notes that it no longer feels the same after offering love to Soraya. He claims it was a relief to get over it and that he no longer had to worry about it. I also think their marriage began to fail because Amir was not absolutely straightforward with Soraya. A relationship is built off of trust and if there is none then that relationship will fall apart.

Derrell

12/17/2020 05:46:28 pm

Word count 260

Badih

12/18/2020 01:59:33 pm

I agree with you when you mentioned the disconnection Amir had with his father and the connection he never got to have with his mother. I think that this is where the unhappiness all started in Amir's life. Amir fought so much to have his father’s attention and his love even if that meant he had to hurt others while doing it. I also agree when you said that at the beginning of the story Baba was giving Hassan more attention than Amir causing him jealousy. I also think that if Baba was more open to his son and gave him the love he needed maybe he wouldn’t live with so many regrets. Maybe he’d grow up with good memories and not regression for the rest of his life.

Word count:130

Azfaar

12/18/2020 02:16:55 pm

I agree. Earlier on in the book Baba and Amir don't have as strong of a connection as they should. Their relationship would probably be better if his mother had lived. If this were the case Amir wouldn't have the urge to please Baba and he wouldn't hurt Hassan in the way he did.I like how you added the part about relationships being built off trust and I agree. Although Amir, and Soraya cant have kids, and are starting to disconnect from one another, Amir, being fully honest with her, can bring them closer. Soraya was honest with him about her past, and he knows another thing about her that she's not proud of( not being able to have kids). Despite this she still doesn't know the one thing about him that changed the way he views life. Word count-141

Badih

12/18/2020 01:44:45 pm

Unhappiness is a word I would use to describe the unhappiness of Amir and his family. It all began when Amir wished his father and him had a better relationship with each other. After Baba’s death, Amir got happily married to Soraya, the girl of his dreams.They couldn’t have kids and the doctors didn’t have an explanation for them. They were happy with each other but the fact that they weren’t able to have kids was very unfortunate to them. It was like their dreams were tared right from their hands and they were unable to do something about it as it wasn’t in their will. Amir says their love making isn’t the same. He could feel Soraya’s unhappiness and sadness. When going back to Afghanistan, Amir discovers heartbreaking news. He soon learned that Hassan and his wife were shot and killed by the Taliban. All he had of Hassan was the letter he had made him from six months ago and his son, Sohrab. Amir was truly devastated and heartbroken, he knew that meant he had to live with his regrets for the rest of his life. That’s when the term unhappiness comes around once again. It was as if unhappiness had followed him around just in time to tear him apart again.

Word count:215

Zemar

12/18/2020 04:02:36 pm

I like the idea you present Badih that Amir finding out about Hassan and his fathers lies and then also that Hassan and his wife were shot left him with the reality that he would have to live with his regrets for the rest of his life. It could be possible that he never got to that point mentally because he always believed that he has the possibility to go back to Hassan and talk to him and apologize for everything that happened and what he did/did not do. But now he can’t do that and a deeper reality to his regrets have set in.
Word Count: 106

Azfaar

12/18/2020 01:54:15 pm

The source of unhappiness in Baba’s family when they are younger is the fact that Amir and Baba don’t connect on the father son level they should. When he is younger, Amir desperately tries to get his father to see, accept, and love him. Baba does but doesn't show it. He pushes Amir to the side most of his childhood which causes Amir to disregard others in an effort to make Baba proud of him. This is seen when he witnesses Hassan's assault but doesn't stop it and still accepts the kite when he gives it to him so Baba can receive the winning kite runner prize from his son. This is an event that affects Amir for the rest of his life. This source of unhappiness is unique because it is based on false information. Amir felt like he could never get the appreciation and attention from Baba for himself, not Hassan too. But, Baba's reason for his kind heartedness for Hassan is because he was also his son. This is a secret that Amir learns after Baba and Hassan are both dead. Majority of his childhood was focused on winning Baba's love. While doing this he intentionally hurt and pushed away his only brother. word count- 208

Zemar

12/18/2020 03:55:32 pm

The source of unhappiness in TKR in Amir and Baba’s family was the secrets. Baba kept secrets from Amir and it affects their relationship overall. They end up not having a good bond with each other and having serious problems connecting with one another. Amir constantly is seeking Baba’s attention and Baba probably could see it and just wasn’t able to give it to him. And if he wasn’t able to see it, one good reason for that could be the secrets he was hiding. He probably thought that keeping the secret was a good thing in a way because Ali was able to have a son and it wouldn’t have been good for him if people knew that he had impregnated a Hazara. He might’ve lost things like his success, his place/role in society, respect, and the honor that his family name/history already gave him could’ve been destroyed. Usually when big secrets like this one are kept and hidden it hurts the others involved/around it, it leaves big problems and issues within individuals and/or the family itself. This secret could be the source to Baba and Amir's inability to have a good relationship or really understand each other.
Word Count: 203

Badih

12/19/2020 05:56:12 pm

I agree with you, I think that when Amir found out what was really going on behind his back he refused to believe it because he knew it would just crush him more. That explains why Baba paid more attention to Hassan than Amir, that was his son all along. Now Amir has to live with regrets and the lies that were just uncovered. Now Amir has a decision to make, will it make him happy? Will he make the right decision? Even though his father thought it was the best idea of giving his son to Ali, the truth always comes out and the truth can sometimes hurt.

Word count:110

Shahmeer

12/20/2020 11:49:39 pm

I totally agree! If Amir would have known as a child that Hassan was his biological brother than Amir would think differently of Hassan. Hassan wouldn’t be “his Hazara” or the “sacrificial lamb” for his father’s attention. Amir would have treated and see Hassan like a brother and not be jealous of the love and attention he received from Baba. Amir (at least I hope) wouldn’t have left Hassan to be assaulted because we know that Amir at the time of the assault justified his actions by referring to Hassan as “just an Hazara”. Keeping this secret protect the reputation of Baba and his family name, but consequently hurt Amir and Hassan.

Word Count: 112

Tabish

12/18/2020 06:02:00 pm

In the book the kite runner, you can see that every family had their own type of unhappiness it’s first seen between Baba and Amir in the first few chapters of the book. They had a distant relationship and Amir was always chasing Baba’s attention. It was clear Baba was also unhappy because there was the scene where he said that if it wasn’t that he saw Amir being born he wouldn’t believe it was his son and Amir points out that in a few scenes Baba seems embarrassed or ashamed. Another family with their own unhappiness is Amir and Soraya. After they found out they can’t have kids it affected their marriage.

Tashfeen

12/18/2020 09:53:46 pm

In all of the families that Amir has been in, there is always a sense of unhappiness and unease. In the beginning, when it was just Ali, Baba, Rahim Khan, and Hassan, the source of unhappiness had stemmed from Baba’s lack of affection towards Amir. This later spiraled out of control causing Amir to make rash decisions that he would never forgive himself for. After the said incident occurred, the source of unhappiness was Amir’s guilt for not helping the only person in the world that would stand by his side no matter what. His guilt drove him to ensure that the remainder of his sins would no longer be within his sight.

In Amir’s new family, with Soraya and her parents, the source of unhappiness stems from multiple sources. One of the main sources is Amir’s inability to provide his wife a child. This has put a strain on not only his marriage but the way that his in-laws interact with him. Another source of this family’s unhappiness stems from Sorya’s father and mother being ill. Soraya’s mother, at some point in the past, had a stroke which now causes her to overanalyze the wellbeing of her family members especially her husband General Taheri.
Word count: 205

Asadi

12/18/2020 10:52:05 pm

Within every family that Amir has "been apart of" or just witnessed of how they function.. there has always been a sense of unsteadiness. This might be because there were always people leaving him out in the dark. The man he wanted attention from the most when he was growing up, Baba, kept secrets from him, which didn't intentionally harm their relationship, but still did. Every action Amir pursued in when he was younger, (aka) forcing Hassan into getting abused, led him back to karma. Like Amir stated in previous chapters, he believes that the reason he cannot purse into starting a family of his own is because of all the terrible things he did to his HALF brother.There has also been secrets that Soraya (Amir's wife) that she had kept secrets from him as well, and he also did the same, kept secrets from her. Although she had the decency to tell her husband all of her "dirty secrets", he (Amir) did not say anything, more because he was afraid of how he would look. Letting someone that loves you a lot, that you have caused your best friend that turns out to be your HALF brother get abused all to please a father that was never really impressed in the first place? Amir knew the shame he had was real. All of this leading back up to the fact that all the families Amir had been apart of brings "bad vibes" and are just unsettling.

word count --247

Azoom

12/18/2020 11:15:46 pm

The unique source of unhappiness in Hassan’s family is the sudden loss of his family members. He first lost his father to a land mine, then lost his first child at birth, and then lost his mother just as she was coming back into his life. Although these deaths are a few years apart they are still pretty close for such painful tragedies. No one else in The Kite Runner has experienced so many deaths in their families so closely. Hassan already had to deal with losing Baba and Amir as a child and then having to go through losing so much of his blood family definitely felt so much worse. Another unique source is the fact that they suffered living under the Taliban’s rule. Hassan had to watch as his wife was beat and he could only stand and watch. No one else in the book has suffered this much. At the end of it all Hassan’s family suffers the worst fate as he tries to defend his home and is killed for it. His wife dies after him and his son loses his family just as Hassan had. Hassan’s family has suffered many unique tragedies in The Kite Runner.

Word Count: 201

Shahmeer

12/19/2020 04:08:33 pm

In the Kite Runner, Hassan's family in Afghanistan has lots of tragedies from death, secrets, to abandonment. The source of this family’s unhappiness is the deaths of family members, and the secrets they carry with them to their deaths. Hassan first lost Baba, which he saw as his friend Amir's father and generous man that took care of him and his father Ali. What makes this misery unique is that we now know from Rahim Khan that Baba is the biological father of Hassan not Ali, and Hassan never lived to know his true identity. Hassan isn’t a full fledged Hazara, and if Hassan and the general public knew he was the son of a respectable Pashtun he probably wouldn't have been treated so poorly. More importantly Hassan would have seen himself more like a half brother to Amir, than a friend who is labelled as "Amir's Hazara servant". Also, it's important to note his mother Sanaubar never told her son after she came back to see him when she was aged and sick, because she died before she could get the chance. Personally I feel the most sympathy and pain towards Hassan's child Sohrab because he is now an orphan and will probably never know his true family history and identity, because the only person that can tell this secret is Amir.

Word Count: 223

Azzami

12/20/2020 08:40:46 pm

One family in The Kite Runner that displays unhappiness is Amir and Soraya. Amir and Soraya met and were married at a young age. Although they were married very young, it is seen that they both truly love each other. The beginning of their marriage was tough because of Baba's cancer and death, but still very happy. As they got older and realized they wanted children it brought great joy to them. What brought them unhappiness was that they weren't able to conceive a child. With many tests being run to find out why they couldn't have a child there was not definite answer. Since they were both very excited to have a child one day the news of them not being able to have a child was very decestating to them. They would still try to have children but just couldn't. This news caused their marriage to change. They weren't as happy as they used to be when they first got married. They seemed to become more distant and unhappy in their marriage. Both of them could them could tell that their marriage was not what it used to be. They wanted to be happy and have a family together but weren't able to resulting in a drastic change in the connection of their marriage.
word count: 216

Asadi

12/20/2020 10:22:25 pm

I agree with you Azzami. The most unhappiest family, in my opinion within TKR was definitely Soraya and Amir. Despite the fact that they got married at a young age, they were so in love, they wanted to start a family of their own. The beginning of their marriage, like you stated, was hard, with Baba passing. Also, like you said, how they wanted their own kids but simply couldn't have them? Truly heartbreaking. The news DID cause the marriage to change and not for the better.

word count 89

Painda

12/21/2020 12:01:02 am

In the Kite Runner, many families have their own source of unhappiness. One of those families, in particular, is Baba and Amir. Their source of unhappiness comes from their disconnection from one another and their inability to communicate. Another reason for their unhappiness is that they don’t share the same interest and have different types of personalities. Their complex relationship has been shown throughout the book from the beginning of the novel, where they clashed with each other’s hobbies, to them getting closer when they moved to America and all Amir had was Baba. When Baba got sick their views on treatment differed and it grew tension between them. A deeper source of unhappiness that was hidden from Amir was when Rahim Khan called Amir to come back to Afghanistan and told him about the death of Hassan. After getting that bad news, Amir is told Hassan and him were blood brothers all along. Throughout this story, Baba and Amir’s unhappiness seems never-ending because as Amir has grown up as soon as one sad story is over another one comes knocking at the door. For example, after Baba died Amir’s wife finds out she isn’t able to conceive this causes another source of unhappiness between his family.
Word count: 202

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